The Gifts I Have Received
When I came to my first Al‑Anon meeting, I did not come to get my mother well. I knew I was a mess. I knew, too, that there was something very wrong with my family, but I couldn’t
Made a Searching and Fearless Inventory of…Our Group?
Taking an occasional look at my role in my home group can help me carry the Al‑Anon message clearly and consistently. How often am I of service by opening and closing the meeting? In what ways do I
I Was Welcomed with Open Arms
When I walked into my first Al‑Anon meeting, the room was filled only with women enthusiastically chatting with one another. As a man, I asked if the meeting was for women only. The response was welcoming, cheerful, and
Al-Anon Threw Me a Lifeline
I had just given birth to my first child—a beautiful baby girl—and I thought all my problems were going to disappear. I thought I was going to be the perfect mother and wife, and I was going to
Just as Sick as the Alcoholic
I heard about Al‑Anon many years ago when my therapist suggested I attend to help with my alcoholic husband. I had lived with the disease with my father, and now I found myself in its clutches again. I
Public “Inreach”—Sharing the Hope of Alateen in Al-Anon
I volunteered to be an Alateen Group Sponsor when a high school guidance counselor contacted Al‑Anon. The counselor knew about Alateen and had five students to refer to an Alateen group, which then formed very quickly out of
Through to the Other Side
Prior to attending my first Al‑Anon meeting, I often wondered why things happen the way they do. Why do I always seem to be digging myself out of one mess or another? I can’t remember a time before
When Tears and Anger Didn’t Help
My alcoholic loved one retired two years ago and since then has done nothing but drink until he passes out every day. I was at my wits’ end and my children knew it. I tried reasoning with him.
A Spark of Light
When I entered the rooms of Al‑Anon years ago I felt like a frightened little girl. I gathered the courage to walk into the rooms by first listening to Al‑Anon podcasts where people shared their experience, strength, and
Wherever I Go. . .
From a very young age, I assumed that if I could just get my mom to stop being so angry at my dad, then all would be well in my world. This was when my chaotic scavenger hunt
Does Al-Anon Have “Promises”?
Al-Anon does not list anything in our literature as “The Promises” or “The Gifts” because the World Service Conference, Al-Anon’s largest representative group conscience, has not designated anything as such. From as early as 1977, the Literature Committee
Who Changes Our Literature and Why?
Like many Al‑Anon members, I have often joked that while I am asleep, elves visit my bookshelf and change the wording in my Al‑Anon literature. Pages I am sure I never read before suddenly appear in my careworn